In another incident, three, including two Inter students, washed away

Death stalked six women and a girl at Nawabpet village in Mylavaram mandal of Jammalamadugu constituency on Tuesday when the sunshade of a house on which they had gathered to witness the last rites of a farmer, caved in. Twenty other women were injured.

More than 30 women climbed atop the sunshade when it caved in as it was soaked in water due to heavy rain last night. The victims were identified as O. Gurramma (70), R. Venkatamma (62), S. Sanjamma (49), T. Ramanjamma (45) S. Peddakka (23) and her daughter Navitha (7), all belonging to Nawabpet and Maddi Maramma (58) of Ponnampalle.

Jammalamadugu Revenue Divisional Officer G. Raghunatha Reddy, Assistant Superintendent of Police Venkata Appala Naidu and staff rushed to Nawabpet and supervised rescue operations. The injured were rushed to the government hospital at Jammalamadugu and the bodies were later sent to the government hospital for post-mortem.

In related incidents, Erakucherla Srinivas (23), an MCA final year student in Yogi Vemana University, died in Kotha Rekulagunta Dalitawada in Gopavaram mandal and a farmer Moole Chinna Subba Reddy (40) died in Ramachandra Colony near Sivanandapuram on the outskirts of Kadapa when lightning struck them during heavy gales and thunderstorms on Monday night. Srinivas’ father Chinna Narasaiah sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, one Nirmala sustained severe injuries when tin sheets of a house, blown away by gales, fell on her at Mariyapuram here.

Special Correspondent adds: Two girl students and a parent were washed away when they were crossing a swollen stream at Gokulapadu.

According to reports, Susheela and Kalavathi, both Intermediate students, and parents Narayana and Ramanjaneyulu were crossing the Vakkileru stream when the tragedy struck them.

The students were in a hurry to reach Kurnool to take the supplementary Intermediate examination. Susheela and her father Narayana and Kalavathi were washed away, while Ramanjaneyulu, nephew of Narayana, swam to safety. Meanwhile, the students are disturbed by the flash floods at Vakkileru rivulet which is violent and often dangerous.

Though the depth of the water is less, the velocity of the flow is deceptive.

Slideshow

Workers carryingout repairs to Visakhapatnam District Collector's Office, as it was damaged in Cyclone Hudhud in 2014 October. The majestic heritage building was designed and built by Dutch engineering company Gannon Dunkerly in 1865 and completed by 1914. Photos: C.V. Subrahmanyam